1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in connectors comprising any of various jacks such as so-called pin jacks or single-headed jacks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Two types of connectors attached to printed circuit boards for connecting mainly various types of electronic device to electrical and electronic circuit components on the printed circuit board are conventionally known, namely the board plug-in type and the surface mounting type. The former type is configured such that connector terminals are plugged into through holes in the printed circuit board, while the latter type is configured such that the connector is mounted on the surface of the printed circuit board.
Both of these types of connectors require soldering for securing them to the board and for electrically connecting the circuit components on the board. With the board plug-in type of connector, because it must undergo the processes of flux coating, reflow treatment, solder dipping, and washing, it is necessary to consider flux resistance, reflow heat resistance, solder heat resistance, chemical resistance, and solder wettability. With the surface mounting type of connector, on the other hand, because the processes of reflow treatment and washing must be undergone, it is necessary to consider reflow heat resistance, chemical resistance, and solder wettability.
In recent years, however, in order to avoid such problems as the destruction of the natural environment on a global scale, and the depletion of natural resources, the rapid transition from so-called use and throw away economics to so-called recycle economics has become a top priority. There is a high probability that in the near future manufacturers will be obligated to implement product recycling operations wherein it is presumed that, after various types of electrical products have once passed through the hands of a consumer, the original electrical equipment manufacturer will take those products back, disassemble them into their many components, and sort those components into reusable components which will be used in new products and unreusable components which will be disposed of.
Both of the connectors described earlier are configured such that they are securely attached to a board by soldering. In the case of the board plug-in type connector, in particular, the strength with which it is secured by soldering is comparatively great in view of the attachment structure thereof, wherefore it is impossible in practice to separate the connector and the printed circuit board without damaging both the connector and the printed circuit board. In the case of the surface mounting type of connector, on the other hand, the strength wherewith it is secured by soldering is weak, so the structure is made such that, when used, the area surrounding the points of attachment of both members is reinforced so that the pattern on the printed circuit board does not peel away, wherefore, as in the case described above, it is impossible in practice to separate the connector from the printed circuit board without damaging the connector and the board.
With the current level of technology, moreover, it is very difficult to manufacture connectors or printed circuit boards of materials that are highly resistant to heat, wherefore alloys that have too high a melting point cannot be used for the solder. Hence there is no alternative but to use solder made of alloys of tin and lead considered to have comparatively low melting point while fully cognizant of the adverse effects which lead has on the environment. Furthermore, so long as solder is used for securely attaching the connector to the printed circuit board, other problems arise because of the various processes required in soldering operations which are unfavorable to the natural environment, namely flux coating, reflow treatment, solder dipping, and washing, etc.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector which can be attached to a board with adequate attachment strength but without requiring soldering, and which can be easily removed from the board without causing damage.
The connector according to the present invention comprises: a mechanism for determining the attachment position on the board, so that electrical connection is effected between the board and other electrical or electronic devices; and a mechanism for clamping the board for which the prescribed position was determined by the position determining mechanism with such pressing force that the connector will not break away from that prescribed position under conditions of ordinary use.
According to the configuration described above, the board positioned at the prescribed position by the positioning mechanism is clamped with such pressing force that [the connector] will not break away from the prescribed position, under conditions of ordinary use, due to the clamping mechanism. In other words, [the connector] can be attached to the board with adequate attachment strength without performing soldering. For that reason, the connector can be removed from the board easily without damaging either the connector or the board.
In a first preferred embodiment aspect relating to the present invention, the positioning mechanism described in the foregoing is a board insertion part for making electrical connection between an inserted board and another electrical or electronic device, with the board insertion part and the clamping mechanism deployed inside a main casing. The board inserted in the board insertion part is electrically connected to another electrical or electronic device through an electrical connection mechanism that reaches from the board insertion part to a jack for inserting a plug of the other electrical or electronic device or devices. That jack is either one or a plurality of pin jacks.
The pin jack comprises an outer contact that configures the outer shape and an insulator deployed about the inner circumference of the interior space bounded by the outer contact. The electrical connection mechanism described above comprises the outer contact and a center contact that reaches from the inner circumference of the insulator to the vicinity of an opening in the board insertion part. The center contact comprises a plug contact piece deployed on the inner circumference of the insulator and a board contact piece provided in the board insertion part, while the outer contact comprises a plug contact piece deployed on the outer circumference of the insulator and a board contact piece provided in the board insertion part. The plug contact pieces clamp a plug inserted into the pin jack with such pressing force that it will not break away from the plug contact piece under conditions of ordinary use. The board contact piece described above clamps the board inserted into the board insertion part with such pressing force that it will not break away from the board contact piece under conditions of ordinary use.
The clamping mechanism described in the foregoing is a center contact and board contact piece of outer contact. The board insertion part is provided with ribs at the opening thereof to prevent deformation. The board insertion part is configured so that the board insertion position is secured at the position where (a) wiring round(s) positioned on the board is/are clamped by the board contact piece. At suitable locations on the outer contact are formed fixation holes, and at suitable locations on the main casing are formed catches that engage the fixation holes. By releasing the fixation of the catches in the fixation holes, the attached condition described in the foregoing between the outer contact, insulator, center contact, and main casing is undone.
The main casing is provided with through holes for inserting fasteners for fixing the board with an attached panel or panels.
In a second preferred embodiment aspect relating to the present invention, the jack mentioned earlier is a single-headed jack. The single-headed jack has a roughly cylindrical grounding spring end interposed on the inner circumferential side thereof. The electrical connection mechanism described earlier consists of a break spring, chip spring, ring spring, and grounding spring that extend from the opening in the board insertion part toward the single-headed jack. The clamping mechanism described earlier consists of board contact pieces which the break spring, chip spring, ring spring, and grounding spring each have, respectively. The board contact pieces of the springs clamp a board inserted in the board insertion part with such pressing force that [the board] will not break away from the board contact pieces under conditions of ordinary use. The board insertion part is configured so that the board insertion position is secured at the position where wiring rounds deployed on the board are clamped by the board contact pieces. The main casing comprises a cover and a housing. The cover is provided with a projection and a collar having fixation catches, respectively, at suitable locations. The housing is provided, at suitable locations, with a first concavity into which the projection fits, a second concavity into which the collar fixes, and fixation catches which mesh with fixation catches. When the cover is attached to the housing, each part fixes with such strength that the cover will not break away from the housing under conditions of ordinary use. The attachment strength is of such intensity that the cover will not be removed from the housing unless a deliberate action to remove it is made.
In a third preferred embodiment aspect relating to the present invention, the jack mentioned earlier is a jack that corresponds to the universal serial bus standard. In this jack, the roughly cylindrical end of a shell that reaches from the jack to the opening in the board insertion part is interposed in the inner circumference thereof. The electrical connection mechanism mentioned earlier consists of the shell and thin band-form contacts that extend from the opening in the board insertion part toward the jack. The clamping mechanism described in the foregoing consists of the board contact parts possessed respectively by the contacts and the shell. The board contact parts of the contacts and the board contact parts of the shell clamp a board inserted in the board insertion part with such pressing force that [the board] will not break away from the several board contact parts under conditions of ordinary use. The board insertion part is configured so that the board insertion position is secured at a position where the wiring rounds deployed on the board are clamped by the board contact parts. The board insertion part is provided with ribs at the opening thereof to prevent deformation.
In a fourth preferred embodiment aspect relating to the present invention, the jack mentioned earlier is a jack that corresponds to the U.S. standard IEEE 1394. On the inner circumferential side of the jack are severally interposed a shell that presents a cylindrical shape on the jack side and band-form ends that branch upward and downward are in opposition on the board insertion part side, and a plurality of thin band-form contacts that extend, in a condition of being in opposition from above and below, from the center on the inner circumferential side of the jack to the opening of the board insertion part. The ends of the shell and the ends of the contacts that are in opposition from above and below respectively clamp an inserted board from above and below with such pressing force that [the board] will not break away from the several ends under conditions of ordinary use. The electrical connection mechanism mentioned earlier consists of the shell and the contacts.
The clamping mechanism described in the foregoing consists of the ends of the contacts that are in opposition from above and below in the board insertion part, and the ends of the shell that are in opposition from above and below. The ends of the contacts and the ends of the shell that are in opposition from above and below respectively clamp a board inserted into the board insertion part with such pressing force that [the board] will not break away from the ends under conditions of ordinary use. The board insertion part is configured so that the board insertion position is fixed in a position where the wiring rounds deployed on the board are clamped by both ends of the contacts. The board insertion part described in the foregoing comprises deformation preventing ribs in the opening thereof.
In a fifth preferred embodiment aspect relating to the present invention, the jack mentioned earlier is a jack that corresponds to the IO standard. Inside a main casing that reaches from the jack noted above through the board insertion part described above to the opening in the board insertion part is interposed a pair of grounding contacts that extend in mutual opposition in the lateral direction, separated by a prescribed distance, and that, on the side of the board insertion part, have band-form ends that severally branch upward and downward, while, in the opposing gap described above, is interposed a plurality of thin band-form contacts that extend in opposition from above and below. The ends of the contacts and the ends of the grounding contacts that are in opposition from above and below respectively clamp a board inserted into the board insertion part with such pressing force that [the board] will not break away under conditions of ordinary use. The electrical connection mechanism noted earlier consists of the contacts and the grounding contacts.
The clamping mechanism described in the foregoing consists of the ends of the contacts that are in opposition from above and below in the board insertion unit, and the ends of the grounding contacts that are in opposition from above and below. The ends of the contacts and the ends of the grounding contacts that are in opposition from above and below respectively clamp a board inserted into the board insertion part with such pressing force that [the board] will not break away from the ends under conditions of ordinary use. The board insertion part is configured so that the board insertion position is fixed in a position where the wiring rounds deployed on the board are clamped by both ends of the contacts. The board insertion part described in the foregoing comprises deformation preventing ribs in the opening thereof.
In a sixth preferred embodiment aspect relating to the present invention, the jack mentioned earlier is a jack that corresponds to a half-pitch standard. On the inner circumferential side of this jack are severally interposed a shell that presents a cylindrical shape on the jack side and band-form ends that branch upward and downward are in opposition on the board insertion part side, and a plurality of thin band-form contacts that extend, in a condition of opposition from above and below, from the center on the inner circumferential side of the jack to the opening of the board insertion part. The ends of the shell and the ends of the contacts that are in opposition from above and below respectively clamp an inserted board from above and below with such pressing force that [the board] will not break away from the several ends under conditions of ordinary use. The electrical connection mechanism mentioned earlier consists of the shell and the contacts.
The clamping mechanism described in the foregoing consists of the ends of the contacts that are in opposition from above and below in the board insertion part, and the ends of the shell that are in opposition from above and below. The board insertion part is configured so that the board insertion position is fixed in a position where the wiring rounds deployed on the board are clamped by both ends of the contacts. The board insertion part described in the foregoing comprises deformation preventing ribs in the opening thereof.
In a seventh preferred embodiment aspect relating to the present invention, the jack mentioned earlier is a jack that corresponds to a D sub-standard. A shell that is deployed such that a part formed in a cylindrical shape mated with the outer circumferential side of the jack and such that a plurality of band-form parts that branch from the cylindrical part oppose each other from above and below on the board insertion unit side, and a plurality of thin band-form contacts that extend from the center part on the inner circumferential side of the jack to the opening of the board insertion part, opposed from above and below in a staggered pattern, are provided. For the contacts, thin band-form material is used, one end whereof is formed in a cylindrical shape with an eyelet provided in that end, while the other end is bent into a roughly L shape. These contacts are deployed in the main casing in such condition that the eyelets are made to look toward the jack opening side. The ends of the shell that are in opposition from above and below and the ends of the contacts that are in opposition from above and below in a staggered pattern clamp an inserted board from above and below with such pressing force that [the board] will not break away from the several ends under conditions of ordinary use. The electrical connection mechanism noted earlier consists of the shell and the contacts.
The clamping mechanism described in the foregoing consists of the ends of the contacts that are in opposition from above and below in a staggered pattern in the board insertion part, and the ends of the shell that are in opposition from above and below. The board insertion part is configured so that the board insertion position is fixed in a position where the wiring rounds deployed on the board are clamped by both ends of the contacts. The board insertion part described in the foregoing comprises deformation preventing ribs in the opening thereof.
In an eighth preferred embodiment aspect relating to the present invention, the jack mentioned earlier is a jack that corresponds to a DC standard. Contacts that extend from the center part on the inner circumferential side of the jack to the opening of the board insertion part, grounding contacts having ends that respectively are in opposition from above and below, in the opening of the board insertion part, and break contacts are interposed. The contacts are formed so that a roughly cylindrical shape is presented on the jack side and so that thin band-form parts that branch from the cylindrical part are in opposition from above and below on the board insertion part side. The parts of the contacts in opposition from above and below, the grounding contacts, and the parts of the brake contacts that are in opposition from above and below clamp an inserted board from above and below with such pressing force that [the board] will not break away from the several ends under conditions of ordinary use. The electrical connection mechanism noted above consists of the contacts, the grounding contacts, and the break contacts.
The clamping mechanism described in the foregoing consists of the several ends of the contacts that are in opposition from above and below in the board insertion part, the grounding contacts, and the break contacts. The board insertion part is configured so that the board insertion position is fixed in a position wherein the wiring rounds deployed on the board are clamped by the two ends of the contacts, and by the several parts of the grounding contacts and break contacts.
In a ninth preferred embodiment aspect relating to the present invention, the jack mentioned earlier is a jack that corresponds to the mini DIN standard. An outer contact that is deployed such that a part formed in a cylindrical shape is inserted into the circumferential side of the jack and such that a plurality of band-form parts that branch from the cylindrical part oppose each other from above and below on the board insertion part side, and a plurality of center contacts that extend from the center part on the inner circumferential side of the jack to the opening of the board insertion part, opposed from above and below in a staggered pattern, are provided. For the center contacts, thin band-form material is used, one end whereof is formed in a cylindrical shape with an eyelet provided in that end, while the other end is bent into a roughly Z shape. These center contacts are deployed in the main casing in such condition that the eyelets are made to look toward the jack opening side, while the other ends are made to look toward the opening of the board insertion part. The ends of the center contacts that, from two levels, above and below, look toward the opening on the board insertion part side, and the ends of the outer contact(s) that are in opposition from above and below, clamp a board inserted into the board insertion part with such pressing force that [the board] will not break away from the ends under conditions or ordinary use. The electrical connection mechanism described above consists of the outer contact(s) and the center contacts.
The clamping mechanism described in the foregoing consists of the several ends of the center contacts that are opposed from above and below in the board insertion part, and the ends of the outer contact(s) that are opposed from above and below. The board insertion part is configured so that the board insertion position is fixed in a position where the wiring rounds deployed on the board are clamped by both ends of the contacts and the outer contact(s). The board insertion part described in the foregoing comprises deformation preventing ribs in the opening thereof.
In a tenth preferred embodiment aspect relating to the present invention, the jack mentioned earlier is a jack that corresponds to a modular standard. A board insertion part having an opening that faces opposite to the opening in the jack is formed roughly directly below the jack, and a plurality of thin band-form contacts that are bent in roughly Z shapes are interposed from the interior of the jack to the opening of the board insertion part. The several ends of the contacts that look toward the opening of the board insertion part clamp a board inserted into the board insertion part, between [themselves and] the opening, with such pressing force that [the board] will not break away from the ends and the opening under conditions of ordinary use.
The clamping mechanism described in the foregoing consists of the ends which look toward the opening of the board insertion unit. The board insertion part is configured so that the board insertion position is fixed in a position where the wiring rounds deployed on the board are clamped by the ends of the contacts. The board insertion part described in the foregoing comprises deformation preventing ribs in the opening thereof.